Teach Me How to Love
by littlePinkDress
Summary: Lucy loves books more than anything which made her took a part time job at the local Magnolia library during her holiday break. She's always dreamed of having a perfect love life like the ones in romance novels despite her nerdy appearance. Will she finally experience what it's like to love someone after her encounter with a raven haired boy?
1. Lesson 1

Lesson One: The new Librarian

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Hi, my name is Lucy Heartfilia and my love for books is absolutely beyond words. Period. And that's all you need to know about me. Just kidding, actually there're plenty of things I take great interest in other than the company of my books but I'll save that for later.

Now, back to the self introduction. So in short, well I did tell you my passion for books but my favorite ones are romance novels especially. Why, you may ask? Well basically, since young I've been exposed to romance stories because my mother used to read them to me before bedtime instead of fables and fairy tales. Pretty weird, right? But if there was anything I love more than books, that would very well be my beloved mother...

You'll find out more about me soon anyway but for now, I've got to get going to the library. Why? Not just because I want to surround myself with tonnes of books but I'm also working part time at Magnolia library down town during the summer break. Starting today that is! Even though the job doesn't pay much but it's enough to help me with rent money at the very least.

Well, look at the time already! I'm almost late for my first day of work, silly me narrating so much like I'm writing a novel or some sort.

Slapping myself mentally, I hurriedly put on my sweatshirt and black skater skirt, after which I slid on a pair of dark stockings and flats. Trust me, I'm not that good with fashion either, I mean my wardrobe has a bunch of sweaters and hoodies and jeans and some skirts? Lucy Hearfilia does not dress fancy that's for sure.

Rushing down the stairs, I grabbed my glasses on the dining table and house keys along with it.

"Bye, Plue! I'll be off now, take care of the house would ya?" I called out to my pet puppy, Plue, upon exiting my apartment. "Pu- pun!"

And I'm off to the library with my pastel pink bicycle that is. The journey surprisingly didn't take that long as it only took me about fifteen minutes to cycle.

Phew! I was right on time, taking a peak at my old leather wrist watch which was given to me from my mother as a birthday present.

My mouth literally hung wide open upon looking up at the massive building before me as I parked my ride outside the entrance. The two storey library from the outside looked completely rundown, I could've sworn I mistook it for an abandoned complex or some sort if it wasn't for the faded 'Magnolia Library' sign hanged at the entrance. Although it may looked old, the structure stood proudly amongst the many buildings surrounding it.

However, little did I know what had awaited me inside the library. I pushed the two glass twos open, only to be greeted by the smell of books as it drifted to my sensitive nose. Ahh, this place smells great, I sure can get used to this. Massive book shelves were arranged in multiple columns and I could see that books were neatly placed as well, neatly kept.

I strutted towards the counter while admiring the interior design of the library, it truly was beautiful. Guess you can't really judge a book by its cover after all. I smiled mentally at the thought. I mean, I'm loving this cosy of a place so far! However, one thing I found rather strange was that WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN A SINGLE SOUL IN HERE? WHAT IF THIS PLACE WAS REALLY DESERTED AND I JUST TRESPASSED ON SOMEONE'S PROPERTY. IT CAN'T BE, RIGHT?

Just when I could further question myself ridiculously, a pleasant voice snapped me out of my thoughts, a hand waving in front of my face,"Hello? Excuse me, miss? Can I help you?"

"O-oh! Yes, uhm... I'm here for part time job. Here's the application form just to confirm," I told her, handing her the slip of paper which mainly consisted my particulars.

The girl who seemed to be of my age readjusted her navy blue glasses and quickly schemed through the information on the paper before looking up again, "Your name is... Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia am I correct?" the blue haired girl asked me, smiling. She sure seemed sweet, wonder what's her name?

"Yes, that's right," I smiled back, scratching the back of my head awkwardly,"Please to meet you, I'm Levy McGarden but you can call me Levy for short," she briefly introduced herself, nodding.

"Ah, well I'm Lucy. Please take care of me Levy-chan," I said, smiling widely, reaching an arm out for a handshake which she gladly accepts.

"I'll show you around first before we get to do some work, Lu-chan~" she sang, taking me by the wrist and pulling me along with her. "To the staff room!"

Lu-can? That's new. Not that I mind the new nickname but in fact, I love it!

Levy twisted the door knob in front of her as she invited me in with a friendly hand gesture," Com on in, Lu-chan, I'll give you your name tag then we'll get to know each other a bit more," she beamed.

"Alright, sounds good to me," I said, quietly following behind her.

"There you go, Lucy-chan. Welcome to Magnolia Library," she warmly said after pinning a transparent card holder on my sweatshirt and on the card it says 'Assistant Librarian' with my name altogether. I squealed in much excitement and pulled Levy into a hug.

"Thank you, Levy-chan! I'll do my best!"

"Let's go, I'm taking you to the second floor," she stated, ushering me to the door before closing it behind her.

Wow. I know this might sound pretty strange but I feel that I've known Levy-chan for the longest of time now, I mean we get along just perfect! Although we met like twenty minutes ago but still... I smiled contently, looking down at my new position as assistant Librarian and not to mention, I made a new friend too. So far, all was well.

"Levy?"

"What's wrong?" she turned to look at me.

"Uhm, you're not the only one that works here, right?" I asked what was on my mind.

"Of course I'm not the only one here, silly. There's my little sister Wendy, Bisca and her boyfriend and a few others too but they went to do some votunteer work today. May be they'll be back tomorrow," she told me.

Ah, makes sense why there's only Levy here. "So, Lu-chan, you're from Fairy Tail Academy, right?" she asked me, trying to make a conversation.

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Well, I'm from Blue Pegasus High. Though I must sa, Fairy Tail is rumored to be a 'delinquent' school. Is it true, Lucy?" she gave me a questioning look.

"Oh... They're rowdy bunch but I woudn't call them 'delinquent' just yet. I mean look at me, I'm pretty normal aren't I?" I joked, laughing nervously however earning a laugh from her.

Those_ idiots_! Levy must've been referring to that Natsu back there at Fairy Tail Academy. Salmon haired delinquent? Heck, people even gave him a nickname of Salamander for 'accidentally' burning down half of the school compound while he was in Home Economics class for Mavis's sake. Which of course earned him a whole months worth of detention as a result of his unavoidable stupidity and carelessness. And did I tell you how the guy would constantly get into fights nearly everyday only to be at school the following day covered up in nothing but bruises and cuts. It's a usual sight but that's Natsu for you. Well how do I, Lucy Heartfilia, know about all this? It's because Natsu Dragneel is my childhood friend ever since kindergarten. Curse that idiot, he almost gave Levy a bad impression of me and Fairy Tail Academy.

"I guess you're right, Lu-chan. Fairy Tail Academy sure seems like a fun place," she chuckled.

Was I hearing things right or did Levy just commented on FT Academy being I don't know... fun? Technically, the place is fun, for me that is, but I've never heard other people praising our school before? It's either 'Oh look, it's those troublemakers from Fairy Tail causing us trouble again' or 'Don't send your children there, it's bad influence' something along that line. I guess you could say that Levy is one of a kind then?

"Yeah, we're like family over there," I said, finding myself smiling just talking about them.

"I can tell, bring your friends over sometime, okay?"

"Haha not sure if that's a good idea but I'll try, I mean they could trash this place once they step in," I chuckled amusingly.

"Make sure to tell them to behave or else I'll personally kick them out," Levy joked.

"Anyway, this is the second floor, it's condition, well... isn't that great at the moment you see," she said, pointing at the set of moldy wooden shelves before continuing, "And we have approximately one hundred new books that hasn't been registered into the system yet. They're at the storage room at the back and as our job, we need to arrange them into respective shelves after keying them into the computer. Afterwards, we'll do some cleaning here and that's about it, Lu-chan."

After her short briefing, she lead me towards the back of the second floor, I stood quietly beside her as she fished out another set of keys to the door in front of us, with a 'Storage' sign on it, "Ah right, I'll have to give you a pair of spare keys to the staff and storage room, Lu-chan," I nodded.

"Lu-chan, have you met our library cat yet?" she asked me, picking one of the books laid on the desk before typing something into the computer situated at the corner of the room.

"Cat?" I paused for a second, "I haven't seen any," shaking my head, I picked up one of the books myself. "Then I suppose Wendy brought it along with her, don't worry, you'll see her soon. Her name is Charles."

"Can't wait to meet everyone that works here, Levy." I smiled.

For the next hour or so, me and Levy continued to register the new books into the computer and putting them all aside first before we began to place them onto the shelves. It was quite tiring of a job, considering the amount of books we had to arrange. But I like it anyway. Since we only had a computer, we had to take turns and when it was Levy's, I managed to browse through the book which I was holding onto. I must say, this library sure had a fine collection of Kemu Zelon's novels. I was just in awe to see so many of his novels displayed in the library because his novels are a rare sight in town.

"You like Kemu Zelon's romance novels, Lu-chan?" she asked, peaking over to see what I was reading.

"Yeah! He's one of my favourite authors of all time. My mother used to read his books to me and I love romance novels. They're so... dreamy," I said, almost drooling.

"I know right, which of his books are you reading?" she asked, taking a seat next to me. I scooted nearer so see could see the novel.

"Oh this? It's 'Tell Me How to Love', one of his best selling novels besides Day Break. Apparently he wrote this when he fell in love with his wife and dedicated this novel for her. Sweet isn't it?" I said while tracing the hard cover of the book resting on my lap.

"You can have it if you want, Lu-chan," she kindly offered.

"N-no, I can't, I mean this is library property and we can't afford to away books like that," I reasoned with her.

"It's fine, take it as a welcome gift from me, okay? And I know you'll take good care of it, Lu-chan," she beamed, taking hold of my hands.

"Aww, Levy... I can't thank you enough. Thank you so much, I'll treasure this," embracing her tightly.

"You're welcome~" she bubbly said.

"And welcome to Magnolia Library again, Lu-chan."

_To be continued~_

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Author's Note!

I'm starting a new fic /CHEERS/ so did you guys likey the first chapter of Teach Me How to Love? If you do, please review/favorite/follow and let me know if I should continue. Is not a yay or a nay? The more reviews, the faster I'll update! Aye!


	2. Lesson 2

Lesson Two: Encounters

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I went home after work with a wide smile plastered across my face, hugging my new book close to my chest as I walked up to my rented house after locking up my bicycle. Heaving a satisfied sigh, I unlocked my door to see Plue waving his tail back and forth, delighted to see me after a long day.

"You must be hungry nee, Plue?" I asked him, kneeling down to stroke his furry head, "Pupun!" after removing my flats, I made my way to the kitchen, wanting to get some food for both myself and Plue only to be greeted by-

"NATSU!" I screeched upon seeing my idiot of a friend rummaging through my kitchen cabinets for food. A huge mess was made on the counter which wasn't a pleasant sight to see after stepping foot in your own house. How unpleasant.

"Luce? That you?" he poked his head out of the drawer with Happy, his fluffy blue cat resting comfortably on top of his head sleeping away.

"Who else! What are you doing making a mess out of my kitchen?! And WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?" I was on the verge of screaming at his face, flinging my hand up in utter frustration. Oh, he better have a good reason for intruding or else.

"Calm down, Luce, or you'll wake Happy up. Well, Erza and Lisanna invited me for dinner... And I'm supposed to be in charge of the food... And where's the cooking oil?" Natsu scratched the back of his head, shooting me his goofy smile. What?

"That's right, Lucy. We invited him over for dinner, we thought we'd congratulate you on your new part time job," I heard Erza's feminine voice behind me, standing beside her was Lisanna as she smiled.

Meet Erza and Lisanna, they've been my roommates ever since I first got enrolled here at Fairy Tail Academy and the three of us have been the closest of friends ever since. Paying for rents was so much easier with the help of these two around to be honest. And plus, we have the same classes for most of our periods so we get to see each other often. Really often.

"Jeez, you guys are too much sometimes, y'know?" I joked, pulling both my roommates in for a hug.

Natsu pouted, "H-hey! What bout' me?"

"Not until you clean up the mess you made," Erza ordered him sternly, almost glaring daggers at him for trashing the kitchen, "And rejoice, we're having some steamboat today!"

"A-aye!" Natsu agreed.

"So Lucy, how was your first day of work?" Lisanna asked me while pouring some green tea into three cups.

"It's great, I mean I just adore the library and I made a new friend there, her name is Levy. She's a sweet one."

"I'm glad you like it there, Lucy, make sure to work hard okay?" Erza nodded in acknowledgment, taking a bite from h er strawberry short cake.

"What's that book over there, Lucy?" Lisanna asked curiously.

"Ah, well it's 'Teach Me How to Love' by Kemu Zelon, Levy gave this to me as a welcome gift today," I explained, handing over the fine book over to Lisanna.

"Love? Seems like someone here is... lovesick?" she teased, her lips curved into an amused smirk as she flipped through the book.

"Oh, please Lisanna. You know I like my books more than I like guys," I stated, rolling my eyes at her.

"How about you get a boyfriend, just like how Erza and Jellal are dating?" she continued.

W-what? I chocked on my tea violently, almost spitting it out, "E-excuse me but what? Last time I checked, they weren't together!"

"We-we're not dating, just really good friends is all," Erza quickly denied, her face began to fluster, just like the color of her hair- scarlet.

"Riiiiiight, you two aren't going out yet, only time will tell," Lisanna playfully added, sarcasm filled her voice.

"Then what about you, Anna? How are things going with you and Natsu?" I questioned her. Take that Lisanna! You're not the only one who can tease.

"Well, unlike you two, I actually admit that I like him," she said rather softly but full of confidence. Okay? I take that back, I can't tease her one bit.

Sighing, I took a sip from my tea, "Y'know unlike the two of you, I don't have anyone that I'm interested in..."

"Why don't you try opening up, Lucy?" Lisanna suggested, tossing a chocolate biscuit over to Plue which he gladly accepted.

"I don't know, I just-"

"Need somebody to love?" Erza cut in, finishing my sentence her own way while lowering her tea cup.

"No, not exactly but I want to know how to-"

"How to love someone?" this time Lisanna finished the sentence for me as though she read my mind. I nodded quietly in reply, feeling my face heating up just talking about the topic. "Ohh, Lucy, don't worry I'm sure you'll find someone soon enough. May be just give the male population a chance hmm?"

Yeah, may be Lisanna was right, I mean I wasn't the type to be too friendly around flirty guys especially."I'll keep that in mind, 'Sanna"

"Guys! Dinner's ready!" Natsu yelled out to us from the kitchen as if on cue, placing a huge pot on the dining table.

"Natsu, is this even edible?" I scoffed, my finger pointing at the boiling hot pot.

"Hey! Luce, you're so mean. My cooking is the best!" he declared, lighting up the portable stove with a lighter before blowing it out. Natsu may be a delinquent and a troublesome idiot most of the time but at least he has a thing for cooking. Us three girls helped to set the table while Natsu did some final garnishing on his other dishes. And soon, the four of us were seated around the dining table.

"Itadakimasu~" we said in unison before feasting on the food which Natsu had prepared for dinner.

"Let's congrats Lucy for landing a job as a librarian!" Erza proudly announced, earning cheers from both Lisanna and Natsu as I sat there smiling at them.

(The Next Day)

I closed the front door after biding farewell to my roommates however, they were still asleep unfortunately so I left them a note on the fridge. Second day of work here I come! I was thrilled to meet my coworkers since Levy mentioned that they'll be back today. Excited, I hummed my favorite tune from Snow Fairy as I pushed the glass doors of the library open.

"SURPRISE!"

I gasped in astonishment, seeing the unfamiliar faces that stood before me with warm welcoming smiles formed on their lips. Decoration banner and several colorful balloons were hung above the reception desk.

"I know this isn't much of a welcome party but I hope you like it, Lu-chan" I heard Levy's voice as she stepped forward, "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone." she pulled me along with her, delighted.

"Hey newbie! Yer name is Lucy, right? Great to be working with yer," a middle aged green haired woman greeted me in a strong accent.

"Good morning, M'dam...?

"The name is Bisca, darlin' and this is my boyfriend, soon to be husband, Alzack. Though we're only engaged, we have a lil' daughter. Her name is Asuka," she introduced, grinning as she pointed over her shoulder at her boyfriend carrying a little girl over his shoulders.

"Oh oh, Lu-chan, meet my little sister Wendy. She's shy at first but not to worry," Levy have a light push to Wendy who had been hiding behind her older sister's back the whole time.

"H-hello, m-my name is We-Wendy," the blue haired girl said timidly as she reached out a hand. Bending my knees, I shook her hands as the petite little girl gave a half smile, "and th-this is Charles." Wendy pointed to a pale pink cat, it purred in response.

"Kawaii! Can I pet it Wendy?" I asked for permission and she nodded.

I picked Charles up, rubbing her forehead as she meowed contentedly in my arms. "She likes you, Lucy-san."

"This is new, Charles hardly ever let us pick her up other then Wendy." Levy said, tapping her chin with a finger. I smiled sheepishly, handing over Charles to Wendy, "I just like animals, Levy-chan. Nothing special."

"And you like romance novels too," she added.

"Yeah! That too."

All of us got to know each other for a bit, making small talks and occasional jokes once in awhile but it was indeed a pleasant surprise for them to throw me a surprise like this. I've learnt a few fun facts like how Levy took Literature as one of her subjects in Blue Pegasus High, Bisca and Alzack had been dating for almost seven years, Wendy had a thing for mythical creatures such as dragons and lastly Chalres was taken in by none other then Wendy from Edolas pet shelter. Charles really got me reminded of Happy, both the kittens have strange fur colors which I found rare in fact.

"Alright, minna! That's enough chatting for now, we've got plenty of work to do, and it's time to open up," Levy shot up from her seat, announcing to us all in a cheery voice. Afterwards, she told us all about today's schedule which had mainly consisted off remaking labels for our shelves and admin stuffs. Alzack soon stood up as well, helping Bisca with the front door, welcoming in two people who had been waiting outside.

"Ahh umm... Lucy-chan, do you mind keeping Asuka and Wendy company at the second floor? All of us have our hands full today since it's a Saturday morning. Yer okay with that?" Bisca asked me politely, "Sorry to trouble you."

"Yeah, it's fine. I'd love to."

"Lucyyy ne-san, you lookie like Rapunzel-san," Asuka complimented, pointing at a picture book that was filled with Princesses as she skimmed through it.

"Oh? Why do you say that Asuka?" I quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Because Lucy ne-san has long blondie like Rapunzel a-and ne-san is pwettie," a small blush appeared on the girls's face as she spoke. "Haha, that may be true, Asuka-chan but I'm no Princess because I don't have a Prince!" I chuckled at her cuteness.

She pouted, But you're still Rapunzel to me, Lucy ne-san."

This girl is so adorably adorable, I've been watching over her and Wendy for almost two hours now and they're so innocent, angelic in fact. I enjoyed the company of these two angels. Wait, speaking of Wendy... Where is she? She said she was going to look for a book about sky dragons with Charles but it's been about thirty minutes since they left and I'm starting to get worried. Maybe she got lost? Or what if she's having trouble locating the book? Whatever it was, I'm going to look for her just in case.

"Hey, Asuka, I'm going to look for Wendy-chan alright? Stay right here and I'll be back in a flash."

"Ish Wendy-san alright?" concern filled her voice as she stopped flipping the pages and looked up, meeting my gaze.

"I'm not sure, she's probably lost her way back I think."

Asuka nodded obediently as I gave her one last assuring smile before disappearing into the rows of oak shelves which obviously towered above me.

"Wendy-chan, are you there?" I called out softly, not wanting to disrupt the library's quietness. Quickening my pace, I immediately searched for them at the 'Young Discovery' section where books about mythical beasts were displayed but to no avail, she and Charles wasn't there. Where could they be?

"Wendy... Charles... Where are you?" I passed by rows after rows of book aisles, spinning he head in all directions but the duo was nowhere to be found Running a hand through my blonde locks, I gave a huff, blowing my bangs aside.

"Wendy, Charles!" I whisper-yelled.

_Meoww_.

Was that Charles by any chance?

My feet led me towards the back of the second floor near the storage room. And at the last shelf was where I spotted Wendy squatting, burying her face in-between her tiny knees, "Wendy, goodness are you alright? What happened?" I rushed to her side. The girl shot up from her position, looking at me with troubled eyes.

"Cha-Charles won't come d-down from there, I told her to get down but she w-won't listen."

Both of us looked up, seeing the pink cat waving her tail elegantly, eyes gazing passively at us.

"C'mere, Charles, come here," I called out to her, holding my hands up in the air as if to catch her when she jumped. However, she twitched her ears in response, completely ignoring our calls.

"Oh, Charles, there're some delicious sardines and tuna for you if you come down," I coaxed.

Instead of listening to my 'tempting' offer, she simply set her eyes on a higher wooden shelf nearby, jumping onto iy effortlessly moments later. I huffed impatiently, this was easier said than done. "Lucy-san, I'll get help from the others." And Wendy ran off, looking for some assistant.

Groaning in defeat, I thought, this troublesome cat was either deaf or just plain stubborn. Either way, I've got to get her down before she could get a chance to hurt herself up there.

"Miss Librarian? Mind if I help with the cat?" a husky male's voice rang around me. Startled, I cocked my head to the side to see a guy... a shirtless guy to be exact. Wait, what?

Letting out a high pitched yelp, I quickly squeezed both my eyes shut, covering them with the palm of my hands as if it was a defensive shield. MY EYES WERE BLEEDING. WHY JUST WHY WAS HE TOPLESS AND WHERE'S HIS SHIRT MOREOVER? COULD HE BE... A HOMELESS HOBO OR SOME SORT? I didn't know why but my eyes couldn't help squinting through the small opening of my fingers. And upon landing on his toned muscular abs was when I deeply regretted peaking. What had been seen cannot be unseen indeed. Not like I've never seen a half naked guy before, okay may be it was my first time seeing those finely carved muscles alright? On second thought actually, I have seen a half naked Natsu before but we're practically little kids then! SO it doesn't count! Anyway, that was beside the point here...

"Uhm... Sir, your c-clothes, please don't walk around like th-that," I stuttered, shifting my feet uncomfortably.

"Guwah...! I'm sorry you had to see that, hope I didn't scar you too badly, miss," he chuckled, ruffling his messy raven hair and hurriedly put on a blue shirt. His shirt I presumed.

"Umm, to be honest, you scared me both physically and mentally, if not for life and I thank you for that, sir," I said sarcastically, turning my head back to Charles who was resting her head on the edges, looking down at us.

"Why thank you, it's an honor then, Miss...?"

"Heartfilia, Lucy Hearfilia," I said monotonously, "So are you helping me with the cat or are we going to talk all day Mister...?"

"Gray, Gray Fullbuster." he smirked, "And of course, I'll get that cat down for you Lucy,"

Seconds after he finished his sentence, he made a leap, grabbing onto the ledge of the old furniture and pulled himself up with ease as if it was child's play. I wasn't expecting him to do that at all. "H-hey! Don't fall now."

"Ohh? Are you worried about me? Well, you can catch me if I fall, Miss Librarian," he smirked yet again.

"Yeah right I'd do something that idiotic," I crossed my arms, rolling my eyes at him.

Ignoring my remark, he positioned himself steadily, occasionally cooing at Charles to gain her attention, "Hey, little kitten, come here, I promise I won't hurt you..." When Gray was close enough within his reach, he grabbed the cat by her white belly tightly, causing the shelf to shake suddenly.

"Goodness gracious Mavis, careful there!" I cried out, not wanting to topple the shelf over, creating a mess and injuring both of them. Gray playfully let out a laugh, "Don't worry, I've got her yeah?"

He brought the fury cat to his lap as he hung his legs freely, letting them swing while he sat on top of the bookcase. He began stroking her fur and to my surprise, she gave him a low growl instead, signaling him to back off, "Whoa whoa, chill. I'm not gonna hurt you, sheshh..." he said as he started to descend with Charles by his side.

I sighed in relief, seeing Charles safe was enough. Though, I should probably thank him as well...

"Looks like she isn't very fond of you, Sir Fullbuster," I stated. Wow way to go Lucy, was that the way to thank someone who just helped you?

"Really? At least your cat is alright, right?" he sheepishly smiled, setting the cat down to the carpeted floor.

"This isn't my cat though," I paused, "Thank you..." I gave him my thanks, bowing slightly in appreciation. My eyes landed on his hands was when I noticed it had several scratch marks imprinted on it. "Your hand, I'm sorry, Charl-"

He interrupted my sentence, "I'm fine. C'mon it's just a scratch," he said, waving it off, "Plus, if you're really sorry then I suppose a little compensation sounds good?"

"Shoot, what is it?" I asked, raising a questioning brow.

"This"

And that was when he gently pulled my hand to his lips for a soft kiss.

Was he a raven haired Prince? I think not...

_To be continued~_

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Author's Note!

Wow, this chapter took me longer than I thought but I want it perfect for you guys! Please leave a review telling me what you think of this fic so far, keep em' favs/follows/reviews coming! They motivate me so update faster! Aye!


	3. Lesson 3

Lesson Three: YOU again?

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I yanked my hand away from his lips seconds after contact, blushing quietly at his sudden gesture, "Wh-what are doing?" I asked while fumbling with my thumbs awkwardly, trying to avoid eye contact with his pair of dark orbs which I found intimidating but gentle at the same time.

"Well, I'm just taking my reward for rescuing your cat, nothing more?" He innocently replied.

"Yea-yeah whatever," I stuttered nervously, still dazed at the fact that he kissed me on my hand. I know this isn't big of a deal for many but it _is_ a big deal for me, no guy has ever taken me by the hand and let alone kiss it before. Gosh, I'm making such big fuzz over this; I mean it would've come out as a gracious thing and who knows right? Isn't this one of those scenes where the heroine of the story meets her one and only true love? What am I even thinking? This isn't one of your cheesy romance novels, Lucy!

Gray suppressed a laugh, "You're freaking out too much, it was just friendly gesture to say 'you're welcome', y'know? For a girl, you're pretty, pretty funny that is."

My inner voice told me mockingly 'I told you so' at this but I chose to disregard it. "What's so funny about me then? I'm plain and _boring_," I rolled my eyes at him, making sure to stress on the word.

"Hmm? Don't say that, you're not boring to me," he gave a straightforward reply, shrugging. Upon hearing this, I felt another prominent fluster appear on my cheeks however being me, I quickly pushed it away.

"I don't believe you. You don't even know me."

"Why not? It's the truth, and I think your eyes are beautiful... Lucy." his eyes softened. He held out his muscular arm, wanting to reach out for my now rosy cheeks. Move away, turn around Lucy! My sub consciousness continuously yelled at me but his finger tips stopped inches away from their destination and pulled back as soon as we heard someone clearing her throat loudly.

"Lu-chan, who's that?"

It was Levy. I let out a panicky laugh, rubbing the back of my neck, "Uhm... This is..."

"Don't mind me, I'm just a passerby helping out Miss Librarian here with her cat issue is all," He explained, cutting in.

Levy looked at him for a second, "I thank you for that sir but I'll need to have a word with Lucy in the staff room now," she said, shooting me a small glare. 'Am I in trouble?' was the first question that popped in my mind. Oh Mavis, I definitely hope not.

"By all means, she's all yours. I'll be taking my leave now, see you around Miss librarian," he paused for effect, "and you're very much welcomed again." that was what Gray said before turning around, casually walking away with his pair of hands dug deep in his back pocket.

When Gray was finally out of sight, I turned to face Levy again, but this time I was greeted by her 'I-want-you-to-tell-me-everything' look as she started dragging me along with her to the first floor, wordlessly. She swung the staff room door, flinging it wide open, startling some of the readers close by. I couldn't exactly tell if she was mad at me for something I did wrong or...? Nevertheless, my gut instincts told me otherwise. The both of us stepped into the spacious room after which Levy slammed the door behind her straight away and faced me.

"LU-CHAN, YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND!" she boomed suddenly, a finger pointing accusingly at me.

"Wh-what? I don't have a boyfriend, no in fact I _never_ once had a boyfriend, Levy-chan. What're you talking about?" now it was my turn to give her a small glare at her false accusation that she just made.

"Then who was that handsome guy just now? I saw him kissed your hand with my own two eyes, he must've been your boyfriend, right?" she fixed her pair of glasses, still doubting me. I let out a groan, taking half a step backwards to lean against the nearest wall for some support.

"No, Levy-chan. He only helped me out with Charles who refused to get down since she won't listen to either me or Wendy. End of story? It was exactly what he told you," I tried explaining to her, my eyes twitching.

"Really now? I'm still not buying it yet. Oh my gosh, Lu-chan do you know his name?" she squealed, sounding completely jovial.

"I d-don't know his name, Gomen-nee?" I lied.

"Don't lie to me, Lu-chan. What. Is. His. Name." Levy punctuated, pausing at every word. Her tone changed drastically within seconds which I found rather frightening.

"Okay, okay he told me his name was Gray," I confessed, bringing my hands up in surrender. Levy-chan can be scary sometimes too I see, "How did you know I was lying?"

"You're a bad liar, Lu-chan. A really bad one is all," Levy said, chuckling, "I'm sure this isn't the last of that boy," she uttered something which I didn't quite catch.

"What was that, Levy-chan?"

"Oh, it's nothing." she grinned.

"So you pulled me all the way here just for this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her, suspicious.

"Yes, we'll talk later after our shift ends okay? I'll take you out for lunch then we'll have a long chat. This conversation isn't over yet by the way. Meanwhile, could you put these books away?" she asked, clasping her hands together as if praying.

I groaned internally, something tells me I'm going to be further interrogated during lunch time that's for sure, "Yeah, I can manage that." I said, pushing the trolley packed with returned books out of the room.

"Lu-chan?" Levy stopped in her tracks and paused her hand from going through some document files, turning to me.

"What is it?"

"Thank you for looking after those two, they're with Bisca and Alzack now if you're wondering," she said, smiling.

"Ah, I see. It's no biggie, Levy-chan. No biggie at all." I smiled back, walking off with the cart.

I started off by placing the books alphabetically in order just to make the job easier for me, then in the various genres followed by the authors. Once everything was nicely arranged, I hovered my finger over the labels stuck on the sides, I began to slot the books back into place starting with 'Feel Me, Touch Me, Love Me' by Nanami Taeko.* An erotica novelist- that's what she was and still is actually, her works were renowned across the country of Fiore, earning her a title of 'eroTaeko' amongst her dear fans. I roamed around the library back and forth, slotting the books into their designated shelf neatly.

By almost one in the afternoon, I finished re-shelving the books which were assigned to me by Levy-chan. Since she had agreed on meeting at two o'clock, this means that I would have some free time for myself alone- to read that is. I took my time, making my way to the staff room to return the empty trolley while grabbing my belongings along with me as I exited the room. I jogged to the second floor to settle for one of the reading benches over there.

Making myself comfortable in one of the silent reading corners, I took out my one and only Kemu Zelon book from my bag, setting it on the table as my lips curved into a grin. I wonder what kind of masterpiece awaits me behind the covers of this book.

I looked around me, taking in the surroundings of the library (one of my odd habits before reading a book). The walls on the second floor were covered in floral wallpaper, daisies to be exact with decorative baskets hung loosely from the ceiling. Rays from the afternoon sun streamed through the white window panes, lighting the whole place up altogether with vintage lamps on the sides. It was indeed the perfect spot for someone like me to be able to read oh-so peacefully without any disturbances whatsoever. I turned the crimson cover page over, my eyes capturing every detail of the paper; from the italic fonts of the quote printed below the title to the dedications at the sides. Flipping the page to show the prologue, I began reading silently with my head, wording every single line with my lips, my fingers tracing along as I go. Another weird habit I have, yes.

"What cha' reading there, Miss Librarian?" I heard an all too familiar voice just when I was about to finish the first chapter into the love story. Highly annoyed, I narrowed my eyes at the guy, ignoring his question. It was him* again. He pulled out the chair opposite me and sat on it freely, allowing both his elbows to rest on the table, still waiting for a reply from me I supposed.

"Are you perhaps ignoring me, Miss Librarian?" waving a hand in front of me to gain my undivided attention.

"Can't you see, I'm busy here?" I bluntly replied, giving him a cold glare.

"But I'm not, so what're you reading?" he asked, eying the bookshelf beside before tugging off a small paperback magazine.

Sighing in much irritation, I closed the book heavily, mentally promising myself to finish it when I have the time to so, "I thought you left an hour ago?" Mentally, I hoped I didn't sound like I was prying into his personal business.

"I was bored so I stayed and not to mention I'm new to the place Miss Librarian," he said, boredom in this tone.

"New here... meaning?" my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I moved here with my elder sister just a week ago which makes me new to this town, well... and I'm locked outside so..." he trailed off, blowing off the dust covered on the surface of the magazine causing him to cough a little in the process.

"Oh." was all I said in reply, itching to continue on with reading my book.

"You haven't answered my question though, what're you reading?"

Oh holy sweet Mavis, the amount of persistent this guy has. He was being so pushy! I was completely certain that this was his third time asking me this already. Not wanting to go through another thirty or even forty 'What are you reading', I decided to just answer him instead.

"Teach Me How to Love, it's a romance novel." I vaguely told him. Why was I even talking to this guy in the first place? Oh, right, because he was being an annoying little thing by disrupting my peaceful reading session which I took seriously?

"Does it literally teach you how to love or what? Because that would be plain dumb," he commented with a scoff, browsing through the magazine pages after pages, each page would either contain a bunch of motorbikes advertisements or some articles printed on it talking about the motor industry if I wasn't wrong. I glanced at the magazine for a moment before looking up again, "You're an idiot, Gray." I muttered under my breath, soft enough only for me to hear while adjusting my reading glasses.

"Trust me, Miss Librarian, I'm no idiot and I don't think _any_ book can teach you that," he said as a matter of factly.

So he heard? "Oh yeah? Think you can be a better sensei than this book I have?" I challenged him, sarcasm laced in my voice.

The moment these words left my lips was when I desperately wanted to take them back immediately but he beat me to it, saying, "Miss Librarian wants me to teach her how to love?"

I blinked, "What?"

If anything, I could've sworn his smirk widened at my confusion, "So," he paused, drumming his fingers on the oak table, "What would be the best way to teach Miss Librarian here a thing or two about love hmm?"

I parted my mouth, almost answering him with a retort but closed it back, realizing it was a rhetorical question, "How about first off we-" he continued, "-get to know each other?"

"D-Don't be ridiculous. You barely know me and if it wasn't for the cat incident then we'd still be strangers, alright?"

"Hnn. You are Lucy Heartfilia and you work part time here and you're an assistant librarian and you like romance novels and you're of the same age as me, probably." he listed all the things he thought were correct about me. He pointed to five of his fingers, showing his stretched out palm in front of me, smirking away in satisfaction before adding, "And that's five facts I know bout' you so far, Miss Librarian."

I blinked again, biting on my bottom lip as I tried to process what he was saying.

"W-What are you talking about? So what? It doesn't mean anything at all," I spoke a little louder, blatantly disregarding the library's most important rule of 'keeping the noise level down' which of course earned me a 'shh' from a reader standing at one of the shelves nearby and I quickly mouthed a 'sorry' in return.

"It does! Tell me more about you, Miss Librarian," he said with a lot of energy. "Tell me what you like, your hobbies, your favorite food, everything."

I couldn't help the smile that slowly widened on my lips upon hearing his reply, turning into a giggle as looked at the goofy face he was making. I mentally debated if I should continue with this conversation with him but then again, Lisanna's words from the night before repeated in my mind.

_'Maybe just give the male population a chance hmm?'_

_'Maybe just give the male population a chance...'_

Her sentence replayed in my head once more, serving as some sort of reminder to me of her advice crystal clearly. Somehow, I simply just cannot imagine me, myself dating someone? To be able to walk around the shopping mall, hand in hand with the person you like? Or to celebrate Christmas alone together, exchanging presents and to be kissing under the mistletoe? Though I've got no idea how this became a tradition for couples but oh well. Or to go on fulfilled dates every now and then? All these could _only_ happen in my wildest fantasies, that's what.

"Er, Earth to Lucy?" Gray's voice brought me back to the present as I snapped out of my thinking trance.

Oh please, just don't make me regret this decision, Lisanna... "Uhm... Fine. I like the color pink, other than reading... I like to write and I'm a no sports person that's for sure. And as for my favorite food... I would say my mother's cooking is the finest." I am so sorry Natsu but your dishes are at all times so spicy hot, I swear it burns my tongue every single time! Furthermore, the stinging pain won't subside for nearly a week!

"You write?"

I glanced away from his face and stared out of the windows while releasing a quiet sigh, "Yeah, I joined the literature and publication club at school so I write newsletters articles. Then there're fan fictions too, not to mention a short novel I'm-" I stopped talking abruptly, realizing that I was telling him too much information I'd much preferred keep to myself.

"Go on," he urged, motioning his hands to say 'keep going'. I gave him an unsure look, nibbling on my bottom lip in hesitation to hold myself back from saying anything unnecessarily. Should I really be telling him this?

"Oh for the love of platypuses, you can tell me, not like I'll tell anyone else since you're the first person I talked to in this place called Magnolia town, okay?" a sarcastic grin played at the corner of his lips as he ran a hand through his dark blue hair as he let out a sigh through his nose.

"Uhm... I'm working on a short novel alright? Are you satisfied now?"

He smirked, "Hnn, very."

.

.

.

"Uh-"

"So–"

Both of us started at the same time, making the situation suddenly becoming awkward between us. "After you," I told him, feeling a tiny blush form on my face, looking down as I spoke.

"So... Guess I should be going now?" he said slowly, though it sounded like a question to me so I nodded in reply.

Gray stood up from his seat, dusting off the magazine cover before slitting it back to the ledge. "And miss librarian? The next time we meet, I hope I'll get to learn more about you. It'll be fun, promise."

However, I though, was seriously considering otherwise.

_To be continued~_

* * *

Author's Note!

Wop wop! First off, I would like to say thank you so much for your support so far! *Bows* And I realised that in the Ft manga Charles's name is actually Carla but not Charles? I'm not sure but some of you pointed this out for me but I'll continue with naming her Charles instead! It isn't much of a difference so I hope you guys don't mine:3 Aye!


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